Video: 1974 Corvette Lays Down Big Power On The Dyno

Introduced at the end of the 1960’s, the C3 Corvette started out as the ultimate sports car before slowly falling into a pit of malaise engineering. By the mid 1970’s, the C3 Corvette had transformed from a muscle machine to a touring car as horsepower went down, weight went up, and many people started counting down the days until the C4 Corvette was released.

Many people, but not everybody. This next video features a 1974 Corvette that was once a treasured family heirloom. Sure, it came with a fairly pitiful 190 horsepower V8 from the factory, but a new stroker engine helped boost output to 560 horsepower… at the wheels. Just listen to this Corvette purr!

The original 350 engine produced between 190 and 250 horsepower in these year Corvettes, but a well-done 383 stroker helped push the horsepower reading to well over 500. That’s far more appropriate for a car of the Corvette’s caliber, though the modifications also included a custom exhaust and a four-speed manual transmission. This car must have been fun to drive.

Alas, this video comes before an accident in Hollywood left the Corvette totaled. See, despite how much money goes into these classic Corvettes, most 1970’s C3 models just aren’t worth much money. Which is a real shame, because a Corvette is a Corvette, and while the oil embargo era wasn’t the best time for American muscle, there will still some halfway-decent cars built at the time.

The video description ends by saying that this Corvette “…wasn’t anything special”, but we disagree. It doesn’t matter if you drive a Corvette or a Chevette; what makes these cars special are the people that drive them, and this ‘74 Corvette was one special car.